New Zealanders in the Press.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 8, 24 August 1910, Page 61

New Zealanders in the Press.

LADY STOUT AND DR. CHAPPLE DEFEND SUFFRAGE. WOMEN AND THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. (From Our Lady Correspondent.) LONDON, July 15. Lady Stout’s pen has been busily plied during the last ten days answering letters in the Press relating to woman suffrage, the declining birthrate, woman suffrage and defence, etc., and businesslike epistles from her have appeared in the “Standard” and the “Times.” An anonymous “New Zealander” has been the worst offender, and in reply to his assertions that woman suffrage has not been to the best advantage of the Dominion, Lady Stout neatly answered: “It is rather unfortunate that the writer has not signed his name, as it leads one to think that he may be a candidate who has been rejected by a New Zealand constituency, and, therefore, prejudiced against the women who secured the return of his opponent. Even in New Zealand the old Adam is inclined to blame women for misfortunes that come upon him on account of his own inability to adapt himself or his ideas to the trend of the times. “In reference to your correspondent’s remark that, in his judgment, the very existence of the Empire would be imperilled by the women’s vote, I can only reply that the only parts of the Empire in which compulsory military training has been adopted are the Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand, in which there is women’s suffrage and adult suffrage. Even the Labour party in New Zealand strongly advocates compulsory military training. * “The absolutely absurb statement that India and Egypt would cease to respect Britain if women had the vote would never be made by any man or woman who knows how the Indians and our Maoris adored ‘The Great White Queen, the Mother of her Peoples.’ When the Women’s Suffrage Bill was before out Parliament our Maori members (four Maoris represent their people in our Parliament'!’ after hearing of the ad-

vantage the vote would confer on our women, and the help it fvould be to the good government of uur land, rose up with one accord and called out, ‘And our women, too; let them have the vote!* “If it is necessary for British men to veil the faces and lower the status of their women so as to adapt themselves to the standard of morality of races which still have primitive ideas of sex subjection. 1 fear the glory of the ruling race must have departed.” The N.Z. Birthrate. Regarding the contention of a correspondent of “The Times” that the granting of woman suffrage had resulted in a decline of the birthrate, Lady Stout, after acknowledging a decrease in the rate between the years 1880, when the N.Z. figures were the highest in the civilised world, and 1890, gives the reason. “During the years Ind ween 1880 and 1899 there was a strong wave of revolt among women, enfranchised and unenfranchised, all over the civilised world against the birth of unhealthy and undesired children. New Zealand and Australian women, being thoughtful and intelligent, were affected by this movement, and now that they have a voice in furthering legislation for the benefit of their children, ail young married women desire children, and make every effort to reduce infant mortality by natural feeding of their babies. “Another reason, with us. for the decrease in the birthrate is that girls do not now marry so early as formerly. This lias the effect of diminishing the birthrate, but, on the other hand, it increases the life and health of the mothers and children. In fact, the statistics prove that motherhood has become intelligent and thoughtful, not merely

instinctive. Not only is our birthrate now increasing, but our rate of infant mortality is rapidly decreasing, while our women are making a united effort to decrease still further the waste of childlife and the physical and mental pain it entails upon the mothers.- .... “As New Zealand’s birthrate is higher than that of England and Wales, and the infant mortality so much lower than any other country in the world. 1 think even an ‘anti” must acknowledge that the population gains by the enfranchisement of women.” Operation of the Vote In answering a masculine correspondent’s letter in the “Standard” that expressed fear of rule by women. Lady Stout published a letter from the Hon. Robert McNab, ex-Minister of Defence and Lands for New Zealand, that will be of interest also to New Zealanders at home, and which tends to show the absurdity of being afraid of the women’s vote. Dear Madam, —In reply to your request for information regarding the operation of the women’s vote for New Zealand, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to avail myself of the opportunity of expressing my opinion. I entered politics in November. 1893. the first occasion on which women voted in New Zealand, and 1 have fought six general elections and one by-election, so that I have the experience of seven contests, in which women played their part as electors. Giving votes to women has given political power to the instead of the tent. The wandering man stands alone, but the women of the family, grouping themselves around the home, send forth from there a political power which goes for all that is Iwst in public life. The here-to-day-and-gone tomorrow man, being alone, is outvoted. To one like myself, who has never known any other system, the objections urged against it in this country are in comprehensible, and are very different to the experience of New Zealand,

where the men would not allow the women to give up the vote even if the latter desired so to do. as such action would permit the floating nomadic to menace the stationary home vote. In all my experience of elections, 1 was never able to see that the women's vote wa«j exercised with one with less intelligence than any section of the men’s vote, and, having taken part in the last contests here. 1 can say with certainty that our contests do not suffer in any comparison which may be instituted. —Yours faithfullv. ROBERT McN \B. Dr. Chapple to the Rescue. The correspondence evoked a spirited reply from Dr. Chapple, the New Zea lander who represents Stirlingshire in the House of Commons. Dr. Chapple’s letter to the “Standard” is. unfortunately, too long to quote in full, but below are some of his jioints. “In the first place, let- me say that women’s influence in New Zealand is cast strongly in favour of the suppression of the liquor tratlic. but i> nothing like so drastic and revolutionary as people would suppose. . . If women had given any formidable vote in favour of no license they could have swept the liquor traffic out of the country year> ago. “Human interests are not male and female: they are common. Men and. wo men have never in the history of the world been found ranging themselves in opposite camps. The political experience of Australia and New Zealand emphatically demonstrates that men and women work side by side, and that the party lines have never been those of sex.” “Though New Zealand and Australia are notoriously the most dem<» ratic countries in the world; though all adult women have the vote, and nearly all register and vote in practically as large a proportion as men; though they have political power, ami make their inbuence

??lt. yet turtle are the only countries in the British Empire that have adopted compulsory military training. When the South African war raged, enfranchised women, whose disposition, according to your correspondent, is to cry, ‘Peace, peace,’ ami who have tin* power to make that cry effective, gave up their sons with the Spartan mother's benediction, *0)1110 back with your shield, or on it.’” “The influence of women in politics in New Zealand has been wholly for good. Meetings have become more decorous and educative without losing their enthusiasm. Elections have been purified; polling has been relieved of its objectionable features, and women who vote are no less respected than ladore. “They have taken a keener interest in political study and discussion without losing any of their womanly virtues.” M.P.’s Sarcasm. The following notice of motion appeared yesterday in Parliamentary papers in the name of Mr. Hills: — “Government of the Empire.—To call attention to the fact that this House has, after-due deliberation, declared itself unfitted to carry on the country's business, and has expressed its wish and intention to hand over to women the government of the nation and the Empire; and to move ‘that this House do resolve itself into Committee to consider its best means of relieving itself of duties for which it has declared itself incompetent.’ ” Such a humorous fellow is Mr. Hills, M.P.!